Misinterpretation
by Havenhaven
Summary: The Silver Knight hadn't thought giving Cormag a kiss would be thought offensive. FE:SS SethCormag


It was hardly with a content sigh that the Silver Knight regained consciousness. He blinked in confusion, not remembering haven fallen asleep and sat up, he had been placed upon a foreign bed in an inn, he supposed since an additional bed was against the far wall. His gloves had been laid upon a dresser and sunlight streamed through the open window cheerily. He turned and ran a hand through his hair, sitting up as the door opened.

Ephraim noticed he was awake and strode over determinedly, arms crossed and expression grim. "Good afternoon, Seth. I trust you're better?"

Seth stood and nodded, mind at a blank. "Yes, I suppose, but I don't recall what happened." He admitted as the sunlight painted luminous blocks on the floor. "Perhaps you could enlighten me, my lord?" Ephraim turned to the side, as if the words he was required to say were distasteful.

"Yes, well, we found you unconscious upon the ground at camp this morning. We then brought you here, only a few hours away. Lady Natasha had her way with her staff and your eye is right as rain," he said, gesturing to Seth's left eye, where the knight felt a slight tenderness. "Pending Sir Cormag's capture, he will be tried for assault and possible betrayal of the kingdom of Renais," the king said quietly, waiting for Seth to respond.

"I'm sorry?" Seth questioned in confusion. "Assault? Betrayal? You are mistaken; Cormag would ne-"

"A soldier saw you hit the ground and claimed to have seen Sir Cormag hovering over your body," Ephraim explained. "I will not have the authority of this army undermined by turncoats that-"

"I beg your pardon, sire," Seth interrupted, frustration showing. "-but you know not of what you speak, if you'll forgive my rudeness. Cormag is no more a traitor to Renais than Sir Duessel."

Ephraim stood. "Sir Duessel has never assaulted one of my soldiers, General Seth, and you would do well to remember that." Seth shook his head.

"Where did the soldier find me?"

"By the stables, but that hardly matters at the moment-" Seth groaned and closed his eyes, running a gloveless hand through his hair once more.

"Again, forgive my interruption, but there is seems there is no one to blame here but myself," The Silver Knight said quietly, details now forming in his mind of the event. "Had I not gone about something the wrong way, he wouldn't have felt the need to protect himself, I suppose.

"You accused him of something?" Ephraim questioned. "Then he will have to be tried for perfidy-."

"Really, my lord. Can you not see that he is a fine soldier, willing to sacrifice himself for a country not his own?" Seth cried in anger, striding to the window. "Everyday the soldiers whisper when his back is turned, wondering when he will return to Grado, sleeping at night in fear that a traitor will slit their throats in their sleep." Ephraim returned to the chair silently.

"He refuses to sleep in camp at night, in an attempt to soothe his nay-sayers," Seth continued. "-but that only gives fruit to more suspicion. He rarely takes meals with anyone besides Sir Duessel or myself. Blast it, I doubt the supply tent would even furnish him a weapon if they could find some plausible reason not to."

Ephraim opened his mouth to speak, pausing when Seth continued. "I doubt he would even travel with the caravan at all if I did not ask him to… forgive me, my lord, it just troubles me that the soldiers' opinion of Sir Cormag comes not from their imagination, but their own king." The general went silent, opening the window further to allow a stronger breeze into the room.

"I did not realize that I had been so obvious in my suspicions," Ephraim began. "…and I regret both the soldiers and Sir Cormag's discomfort…but what reason did you have to accuse him if not of…well, of treacherous activity?"

Seth rested his hands on the window, poking his head out the frame to see the street below. "Of a personal nature, my lord, only of a personal nature," Ephraim made no reply, only standing again as the breeze ruffled his hair and clothing. "I wonder, have you spoke to Duessel of your worries?'

"No," Ephraim spoke. "I have not, I did not wish to offend him, but it seems I have offended you instead. I had not noticed that you and Sir Cormag were close, and I much doubt that you would notice any such behavior and not draw it to my attention…" the monarch said quietly. "Perhaps I'm not so much like my father as I thought."

"There is no truth to those words, milord. Everyday I see King Fado in your actions and your speech…" Seth spoke softly, turning from the breeze. "I may have spoken harshly, but I can understand your caution after Orson's disloyalty." Ephraim nodded. "And perhaps I speak much too familiarly when discussing Cormag."

"No more than I would of a close friend, Seth." Ephraim paused before continuing. "I must admit that the actions of Sir Cormag to the soldiers enmity was the base of my suspicions. If you have no reason to think he has any ideals of upsetting this army, than I will doubt him no more."

The general spoke quietly. "I have no reason or evidence to believe Sir Cormag of any such thoughts." Ephraim nodded, once again returning to the chair. He dropped an elbow to his knee and placed his chin upon his hand, a smile quirked at the edges of his lips.

"I believe we've given Sir Cormag quite a scare," the king called. "His wyvern is in the town stables, as well as your horse, but I don't believe anyone's seen him since the morning." He paused, considering the knight standing near the window. "What did you do to him?"

"Pardon?" Seth asked, thoughts drifting.

Ephraim turned in the chair, now quite interested. "What did you do to him?" the monarch repeated. "None of this would have happened if you hadn't spooked him." Seth returned to his guardianship of the window. "Well?"

"Nothing, well, nothing of importance-"

"I should think it's something of importance to get such a reaction." Ephraim interrupted. "Did you insult his brother or something?"

"No, no no," Seth assured, hand resuming its combing race through the red strands. "I startled him with something is all, nothing that I thought would frighten him. I-" A loud voice could be heard coming down the hallway, followed by the stamping of booted feet. "Do you hear that? Is that-, is that General Duessel?" Seth asked.

The deep baritone was General Duessel, and the words were loud and full of exasperation. "-nothing to get upset about! To think, a soldier of Grado…the Sunstone's brother-." The door burst open, snapping against the wall as Duessel shoved Cormag into the room. "All this nonsense because of something so simple!" Duessel finished, blocking the exit as Cormag took notice of Ephraim and Seth.

"Duessel!" Ephraim started, standing as Cormag backed to the opposite bed, avoiding eye contact with anybody in the room. "Is something amiss?"

Duessel gave a fully withering glare to both knights in the room before announcing that he and Ephraim should leave the two to themselves. Ephraim gave a brief glance at Seth before nodded and leaving the room. Duessel turned and walked through the threshold, a 'blasted idiot' his farewell.

Cormag stood near the opposite wall, arms crossed, fists clenched, and tanned face the model of masked anxiety. "Cormag," Seth started, coming closer. "-perhaps we could talk-."

"I'm sorry I struck you." Cormag said quickly. "I didn't think, didn't get a chance to think as you, well…" He unstrung a clenched fist to tap at the wall, uncomfortably awaiting a response. "I'm really sorry." He repeated quietly, as if he didn't think Seth would care to believe him.

"I don't blame you, Cormag, I was much to, well, forward I suppose…" Seth stopped unsure what to say, wondering if he'd ruined a wonderful friendship over misinterpreted signals. "I suppose you didn't enjoy it then?"

"I did," Cormag said distractedly, pausing when he realized what he'd said, and making a quick run to the door. Seth beat him there, gripping his armor-less shoulders and stopping him.

"It's alright, really," Seth said quickly, Cormag's azure eyes glowing with unwanted uncertainty. "Truly, it is. I just wonder why you stru-."

"I…I wasn't sure," Cormag said. "…I wasn't sure what you meant by it." His hand was on the doorknob, twisting it back and forth nervously as Seth continued to grip his shoulders.

"What I meant by it?" Seth asked, continuing when Cormag nodded. "What I meant by kissing you?" Cormag bit his lip and looked away, crossing his arms again and nodding hesitantly.

Seth stood back, wholly at a lost. "Well, I don't quite know what you mean by it, but I generally kiss someone that I feel attraction to." Seth answered, finding the situation quite foolish and comical. "Not that I do it regularly, you see."

"Then," Cormag paused. "Then you meant it as…as," Seth sighed, then dropped his cloak on the chair and came forward.

"Perhaps catching you unawares behind the stables wasn't the best idea," the knight said quietly, catching both of Cormag's hands with his own. "I apologize for that," Seth spoke quietly, catching the wyvern lord's eyes and holding them.

"The war will end,"

"As it should," Seth replied, feeling strength and worry in the calloused hands he held.

"And after?" Cormag questioned fiercely, nearly tearing his hands from Seth's. "I won't be made game of after all this," he said as his fingers fought not to clench. "I won't."

Seth could only nod, as if the mere thought of abandoning Cormag at the war's end was ludicrous. "May I?" Seth asked, grinning when a smile finally began to play at the edges of Cormag's tan lips. With a soft pull on their intertwined hands Seth leant forward, tasting blue oceans and sunny skies.

Cormag pulled back, hands lax and a sloppy grin on his face. "Better? No bruises?" he asked quietly, eyes alight and daily worries taking a backseat as Seth nodded and leant forward again.

--

I don't like this one a lot. I love the idea, but I think I totally screwed by the delivery, the flow, the awesomeness…le sigh…

For such a non-written ship, excepting Legendary Armor and Kelly CRocker, I do believe I write more of this than anything else.


End file.
